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Home>Jazz Profiles - A to Z>Jazz profiles - "D"
| Davis Eddie “Lockjaw”
tenor sax (2/03/1921-3/11/1986)
Lockjaw’s early work was in the bands of Cootie Williams and Andy Kirk. In 1946 he recorded under his own name.
It was in 1952 that he joined Count Basie’s famous Orchestra, and returned on and off several times, doubling as saxophonist and road manager.
Davis then played in various small groups, giving up performing at one time to work as a booking agent. Lockjaw also made special solo guest appearances with the Basie Band up until 1982.
Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis had a tough tenor sax style, similar to what is known as “The Texas Style”
Davis Miles
trumpet, flugelhorn, composer, (26/05/1926-28/09/1991)
Davis is one of the most unique figures in jazz.
He came from a wealthy middle-class family, his father was a successful dentist and landowner, his mother played the violin and his sister the piano.
Davis received his first trumpet at the age of 13, and started taking private lessons.
In 1944 he studied at the Julliard School of Music, but left to play in clubs. He performed with Coleman Hawkins, but mainly Charlie Parker.
In 1948 Miles started leading his own group.
The mid 1950s saw the first great Miles Davis Quintet which included tenor player John Coltrane and pianist Red Garland.
Davis has been a major inspirational figure to musicians since the 1940s.
Dearie Blossom
vocals, piano, composer (28/04/1926)
Blossom considers her career actually started in the early 1960s, when she was working at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London.
Her musical roots are in jazz and popular song, but her voice and style are uniquely hers. She is also a very competent composer.
de Franco Buddy
clarinet (17/01/1923)
During the 1940s Buddy played in the big bands of Gene Krupa, Charlie Barnet and Tommy Dorsey, he also formed his own big band.
However, he made his reputation in his small group sessions during the 50s.
As a clarinetist Buddy had an unblemished tone and faultless articulation, and even in old age still plays regularly.
Desmond Paul
alto sax, composer (25/11/1924-30/05/1977)
Desmond studied the clarinet at high school and college.
From 1948 until 1950 he rehearsed and recorded with pianist Dave Brubeck and his Octet, leaving to play with local bands.
In 1951 he returned to the Brubeck fold where he remained for the next 16 years.
Paul Desmond wrote the extremely popular composition “Take Five” which helped accelerate the Dave Brubeck Quartet’s international appeal.
During the latter years of his life, away from Brubeck, there was an added and relaxed gentleness to Paul Desmond’s alto playing.
Donaldson Lou
Alto sax (1/11/1926)
Like many jazz saxophone players of Lou’s age he was strongly influenced by Charlie Parker, although he had a more strident tone than Parker.
Lou Donaldson worked with such noted jazz artists as Milt Jackson, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk and Art Blakey to name just a handful.
Dorham Kenny
Trumpet (30/08/1924-5/12/1972)
Born in Fairfield, Texas Kenny came from a musical family. Starting on the piano at the age of 7 he took up the trumpet when he was in high school.
During the 1940s Kenny played with Dizzy Gillespie, Billy Ekstine, Lionel Hampton and Mercer Ellington.
In 1948 he replaced Miles Davis in the Charlie Parker Quintet.
Kenny Dorham was considered a brilliant trumpet player, who projected great lyricism at fast tempos. He was also a brilliant blues player.
Drew Kenny
piano (28/08/1928-4/08/1993)
Kenny accompanied tenor player Lester Young in the early 1950s, going on to record with tenor players John Coltrane and Dexter Gordon.
From 1964 he made his home in Copenhagen, Denmark where he became co-owner of a Danish record label.
Influenced somewhat by pianists Bud Powell and Hampton Hawes, Kenny Drew was a dynamic and exciting soloist.
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